2) I am trying out the champions and have a Shadow Frigate, found a gray Spire enclave in a cul-de-sac only that ship can get into due to the shadow drive. Reading the journal I need to weather the storm of gatlings or find and neutralize the thing making them. The frigate was getting beaten up a lot so went back to my save before entering after no luck finding the creator. Are there any tips out there for these?
In that scenario, the gatling creator doesn't actually exist. Try to fight off the Gatlings and protect your allies starbases as best you can. Don't forget to upgrade your Champion whenever you complete a scenario. Leveling up gives points you can spend to unlock new and higher mark weapon modules, and at certain times you will unlock new and larger hull types (more module bays, use higher mark modules, different abilities, etc).
1) How exactly does hacking work? It either didn't exist or was still in its infancy when I last played and I did not see much on how to go about it on the Wiki.
The most recent revision of Hacking is still fairly new, and very interesting.
Hacking revolves around a new resource, Hacking Progress (HaP). HaP goes up 1-for-1 as AIP goes up, but does not goes down when AIP goes down. Whenever you successfully complete a hack, your HaP goes down. In other words, current HaP = Total_AIP - HaP_Spent.
The AI's response is proportional to the amount of hacking you've done. If your HaP is positive, it's the sum of all HaP you've spent. If you spend more HaP than you have, your total will go negative. You can still do hacking, but when your HaP is negative the AI's response is dramatically increased, as in exponents. Negative HaP hacking can be very dangerous. Not recommended.
So what can you hack?
Hacking includes the classics of Knowledge Raiding and SuperTerminal AIP reduction, but also includes:
ARS research redirection - Allows you to choose one of three ships to unlock when you capture an ARS (you can view which three ships by bringing any Science vessel into a system with an ARS. Select the science ship and click the ARS tab).
Fabricator Design Download - Allows you to gain a ship type from the fabricator. Aka, hacking a Core Bomber Fab will let your Space Docks build Mk V Bombers, even without the need to capture or protect that fab. You do not gain access to Mk I-IV.
Advanced Production Hacking - Similar to Fab hacking, you can hack an Advanced Factory or Advanced Starship Constructor to gain the ability to produce Mk IV fleetships or starships from your docks, without the need to capture or protect the Factory.
Sabotage Hacking - Induces an AI structure to self-destruct. These can be things like forcefields, fortresses, Raid Engines, AI Eyes, etc. Most importantly, you do NOT gain the AIP cost from destroying AI structures in this manner. For example, the Interplanetary Munitions Booster gives +5 AIP normally, but not when Sabotage-hacked.
Sensor Hacking - This hack causes all AI ships in the system to become uncloaked for 35 seconds, AND auto-cloaks all of your ships for 35 seconds. This is normal cloaking; if your ships fire they will become visible.
AI Backup Servers - AI Backup Servers are a new AI structure. One backup server exists somewhere in the universe for each ship type the AI has onlocked, per AI player. Each Backup server can be hacked only once, and there are two possible hacks that can be done: Download and Corruption.
AI Backup Server Download - You can hack the Backup Server to download and gain the ship type of the Backup. This is exactly like gaining a ship through an ARS. You gain the Mk I version, and can research higher Marks.
AI Backup Server Corruption - You can hack a Backup server to re-lock the ship-type. That AI player will no longer be able to create ships of that type. Pre-existing units will still be alive, but no more waves or reinforcements of that type will appear. Note: The Core Types defending the AI Homeworlds are a different list, and are not affected by this Hack.
So how do you hack something?
There is a new Science vessel type called the Hacker, built from the Command Station's Econ build menu. This is a cloaked vessel that you can move around to reach your target system. When you reach your target system, click on the Hack to access the Hacker's build menu. There is a specific immobile cloaked ship you can build for each type of hack, that will perform the actual hack. For example, use the Hacker ship to build a Covert Knowledge Extractor to perform a Knowledge Raid. The countdown timer/K gather total appears over the ship, and the hack begins.
The SuperTerminal still works as it always has, no special ships required. Just build a Command Station in the same system as the SuperTerminal, and the hack will begin.
Each hack has a different cost in HaP, and every time you execute the hack, the cost goes up by 1.5x as the AI becomes more resistant.
Knowledge Raiding - Extracts 6K/sec, after a :15 second preparation phase. Costs 30 HaP to gather 3000 K. Goes up by 1.5x for each 3000K extracted.
SuperTerminal AIP reduction - Costs 1 HaP per SuperTerminal tick, and increases by 1.5x for every 20 AIP. Note that since the ST is -2/+1 AIP per tick, the first 20 points of AIP reduction are "free".
ARS research redirection - Takes 10:00 minutes, and costs 50 HaP for the first hack.
Fabricator Design Download - Takes 5:00 minutes and costs 30 HaP for the first hack.
Advanced Production Hacking - Takes 15:00 minutes and costs 100 HaP for the first hack. Hacking both an Advanced Factory and an Advanced Starship Constructor costs a total of 250 HaP.
Sabotage Hacking - takes 1:00 minute and costs 2 HaP for the first hack. Again, this avoids the AIP increase from destroying AI structures.
Sensor Hacking - takes :30 seconds, and costs 10 HaP for the first hack.
AI Backup Server Download - Takes 5:00 minutes, and costs 50 HaP for the first hack.
AI Backup Server Corruption - Takes 5:00 minutes, and costs 30 HaP for the first hack.
As you can see, hacking is a powerful new alternative to gaining AIP, allowing capturing new ship types or destroying annoying AI structures without gaining AIP.
Other things that might be new to you: There's a new Showdown win condition you can enable in the lobby; Mk IV/V starships now exist; Neinzul Enclaves and AI Carrier Guardians now act as automatic drone producers instead of their previous roles; the new amazing Protector Starships; Mk V turrets (made possible by capturing Core Turret Controllers) exist and are built on a per-system cap; AI Guardposts are MUCH nastier than before; and there are several new types of Brutal Core Guardposts - check out the
patch notes for more info, or just (briefly) enjoy the surprise.
